Warning for Women of Childbearing age. The
CDC states that teens and women ages 15-44 should avoid alcohol unless
they are using birth control. Alcohol can harm a developing baby before a
woman knows she is pregnant. The CDC estimates more than 3 million
women are at risk of exposing a developing fetus to alcohol. This
warning is to reduce the cases of fetal alcohol syndrome. (CBS
Morning News, USA Today, February 3, 2016)

Warning for Men and Boys: There are 4 ways a man's health affects his offspring. A
fathers lifestyle may have far more effect on a child's health than
doctors originally believed. Researchers at Georgetown University
Medical Center found, that there are 4 ways a man's health affects his
offspring:

1) An alcoholic fatherraises the risk of fetal alcohol syndrome and developmental difficulties, as three quarters of babies with fetal alcohol problems had fathers who were alcoholics.2) Kids of older fathers(40 and older) have higher rates of schizophrenia, autism, and birth defects.3) Your dad's dietimpacts how you react to food.4) A dad who smokesmay cause DNA damage.

Fertility specialists say men are not immune to reproductive aging. A man's lifestyle, age, and genetics can play just as significant a role in the health of a baby as the mother's health. ("Dads
lifestyle linked to kids' health issues," and "Influence of paternal
preconception exposures on their offspring: through epigenetics to
phenotype," American Journal of Stem Cells, April 2016)

Statistics

The infant mortality rate was
5 per 1,000 live births in Spokane County in 2013, which was
similar to Washington state. From 2009 to 2013, the infant
mortality rate remained stable and infant mortality was
more likely among infants with mothers who were
non-white, had less than a high school education, and
were on Medicaid.

In 2013, among singleton births to Spokane County women, 5% had a low-birth weight (<2500g) and 6% were a preterm birth (gestation age <37 weeks). The low birth-weight rate and the premature birth rate remained stable from 2009 to 2013. Births with a low birth-weight decreased as the motherís education increased, was higher among women on Medicaid, and were more likely among blacks when compared to whites. Preterm births decreased as education level increased and was higher among women on Medicaid. (Spokane Counts 2015 report, Spokane Regional Health District)